Coconino Master Gardener Association

Another beauty from Cindy Murray. Swallowtail butterfly on phlox.

Welcome to the Coconino County Master Gardeners' Association Blog. The mission of the Coconino Master Gardener Program is to support the University of Arizona by providing researched-based information on environmentally responsible gardening and landscaping to the public. The program creates a corps of well-informed volunteers, and delivers quality horticultural education programs adapted to our regional high elevation environment. The mission of the association is to provide support for those volunteers and Master Gardener graduates, continuing education, and opportunities to participate in community programs that increase the visibility and participation in the Master Gardener Program.

On this site you will find gardening news, links, a calendar for local events, volunteer opportunities, book reviews, agenda/minutes for our association monthly meetings, and association documents and contacts.

The Coconino County Master Gardener Association was founded in 2009 by a small group of master gardeners with the help of Hattie Braun the Director of the MG Program. After several small meetings it was opened to all master gardeners on May 21st, 2009. Meetings are held monthly on the 2rd Thursday of each month from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. We meet at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (1601 N. San Francisco). The agenda usually includes continuing education and a short business meeting. Watch this blog for the agenda and minutes for all meetings. Contacts for the association (officers and committee chairs) are listed at the bottom of this blog.

Reporting Master Gardener Hours

All master gardener trainees and certified master gardeners need to report their hours.Beginning in 2010 certified master gardeners need to have 6 Education hours and 12 Volunteer hours in order to maintain certification.The on line reporting system allows you to report Education or Volunteer hours.If you have any questions or concerns about the new reporting system, please contact Crys Wells or Hattie Braun. Their contacts are listed at the bottom of the blog underContacts.Link to reporting

Ideas for hours--------Attend monthly meetings--Work on an association committee--Work at an informational booth for the Master Gardeners--Be a speaker about gardening topics at a variety of venues--Host a garden tour--Work at the home show--Work at a MG site (Olivia White Hospice, the Arboretum, Riordan Mansion, or school gardens (many others)). Check out the Assoc. Doc. & Forms under Volunteer Sites.--Work in the Extension office--Write an article for the newspaper column -Gardening Excetera-Volunteer with the Seed LibraryBe creative! There are many ways to fulfill your hours. Just remember for volunteering it needs to be a non-profit endeavor or an approved for profit site.

Change in Contact Information

Have you moved or changed your e-mail address, but would still like to be contacted about high elevation gardening information from the Extension? The Coconino County Extension Master Gardener Program has a site that will let you change your information on-line.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Summer Agricultlural Institute

Summer Agricultural Institute (SAI)SAI
is a five-day, traveling tour designed to teach K-12 teachers about
food and fiber production and help them incorporate that knowledge in
the classroom curriculum. SAI combines hands-on learning about
agriculture with practical curriculum development.

SAI
provides participants with free classroom materials that are aligned to
Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards. Participants will visit a
variety of agricultural operations, spend
an entire day at the University of Arizona's research farm, visit
schools with active agriculture education programs, and spend an
afternoon with a modern-day farming or ranching family.

The 27th SAI will be held Monday, June 5 thru Friday, June 9,
2017. We will begin in the Phoenix area and travel north to the
cool-aired regions of Yavapai and Coconino Counties visiting
agricultural
industries along the way.

There is
no cost to apply for SAI, but you must be accepted to participate. Apply by March 1 and only pay $85, if you are accepted. Apply after March 1 and pay $125. Accepted applicants will need to provide payment by May 25.

What have teachers said about SAI?

"An educationally jam-packed week!"

"Volumes of information - I'm glad it was fast paced."

"Tiring, but very educational!"

"Amazing, fast-paced, and informative."

"Long, but very intensive about learning how agriculture works."

"Packed with interesting info, extremely valuable, exhausting, not to be missed!"

Visit
http://cals.arizona.edu/agliteracy/SAI to find more
information, such as answers to frequently asked questions, quotes from
past participants, resources provided over the years, and a list of
tours from the past 25+ years.

Be sure to visit our newly created
Details webpage. There you’ll see a timeline of events for applying and when to expect what - if you are accepted to participate.

2018 CMGA Garden Grants

2018 Garden Grants were awarded at our March meeting. Over $3300 was awarded to 12 non-profits (including churches), schools, and a research project on Monarchs. Thanks to all who contributed to these grants by participating in fundraising activities in 2016. Special thanks to Jackee Alston who organized the grant applications.

2017 Executive Committee Reports

2017 Garden Grants

2017 Garden Grants were awarded at our February meeting. Over $4900 was awarded to 16 non-profits (including churches), schools, and a research project on Monarchs. Thanks to all who contributed to these grants by participating in fundraising activities in 2016. Special thanks to Jackee Alston who organized the grant applications.

CMGA 2017 Calendar Cover

Beverly MacAllister

Remembering Beverly 1928-2016

On Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, Beverly Jean MacAllister passed away fully lucid and comfortably in Santa Cruz, CA, at home and in the presence of her daughters, just three days after her 88th birthday. For many months she sought a way out of or around a severe lung infection. She was a Master Gardener and tended 12 vegetable and flower beds at her home in Timberline. She supported the master gardener program in many ways - providing consult to a local fire department to grow vegetables for food, assisting with regional conferences, and helping each year with the Coconino County Fair in the agriculture building. In addition for several years she worked as a Senior Companion with 5 clients that she helped with aging issues. A celebration of Bev’s life will be held at 11 am on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St. Memorial gifts in her name may be made to Poore Medical Clinic, 120 W. Fine Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86001; or Bonny Doon Fire Safe Council, 150 McGivern Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.I will personally miss her guidance on aging well. The photo above is from a Christmas card I received from her. On the back it says "Kindness is a language we can all understand. The blind can see it and the deaf can hear it. Thank someone who has touched your life today. Thank you for being part of my life. Bev." Loni Shapiro

Remembering Dana

Dana Prom Smith 1927-2015

On Sunday, Jun 28th, Dana Prom Smith passed away from aheart attack at the age of 88. Dana was a long time supporter of the Master Gardener program and association . He was certified as a master gardener in 2007. He worked on his own garden at home, and since then has shared his wealth of knowledge and creative writing skills to write and edit weekly columns for the AZ Daily Sun -Gardening Etcetera. We will miss learning more about life and gardening and the humor with which he presented it.

On August 24th, a Blaze Maple was planted at Olivia White Hospice Garden by his gardening friends in rememberance.

CMGA Calendar 2015

CMGA End of Year Reports 2014

CMGA Project Grants 2014

Grants for 2014 were awarded at our meeting on 6/12. For 2014 we were able t award a total of $1429.50. Below are listed the winning projects.

Mountain School $300

Pinon Community Garden $250

Pioneer Museum Garden $250

Lowell Observatory Gardens$529

Killip Elementary School $103.50

Thanks to all who participated and for those who helped with fundraising through memberships, purchase of calendars/aprons, and participation in the Fall Clean-up Raffle.

Loni Shapiro

Ann Eagan

Ann Eagan 1957-2014

Remembering Ann Eagan, friend and fellow master gardener.Friends are flowers in the garden of life!Photo is from her "Celebration of Life" held at the Arboretum on Saturday, March 29th, 2014. Truly a special occasion for a friend we will all miss. Photo includes her recognizable shoes/hat/walking stick and an urn with her ashes. Special thanks to Tony/Phil, her husband for sharing her life, family, and friends.Photo by Betty Marcus